


Matsuri Reacts To: trust no one

by BiblioMatsuri



Series: #matsuri reacts [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gen, Meta, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 15:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17024940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiblioMatsuri/pseuds/BiblioMatsuri
Summary: My old GF meta ...at least the bits I labeled well enough to find again.





	1. Gravity Falls Inter-Season Shorts: Commentary & Trivia (plus links)

If I missed any, please let me know. Possible spoilers ahead.

Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained 01 - “[Candy Monster](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dcw6nnzb7n_w&t=NjExODQ4N2Q3OWExMDVjN2NmZWRmZDRlOTY3ZDAwOWNiZjBlNTRlYixtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Not much actually gets explained.  
Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained 02 - “[Stan’s Tattoo](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCmquQQEY5Ks&t=N2M2MTYzMDkyYmQyOWM5MGQ0NTA2NTdlMjZjNTZlY2U2MGE2ZWVmOSxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Dipper has a birthmark shaped like a constellation on his forehead, usually hidden under his bangs. Pretty sure that’s the Big Dipper.  
Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained 03 - “[Mailbox](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Du8ofXmpeXoI&t=NGE3MmM2OTlkMmM4MzhiODYwMDBlNjY1NDFlNWM1NTE1Zjg1MGI4NSxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: DANG IT, Mabel. Also, the end of the world is in 3012.  
Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained 04 - “[Lefty](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSQYVI5Ugz44&t=YmVhNWY3MTg0MjZiNGMzODE1ZTM0YThjNDNiYmMyNmVjZmI2NDdmYyxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Little green dudes commit mass suicide. How did that get past the censors?  
Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained 05 - “[The Tooth](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D96FEhn_N76Y&t=YTJjNzhkMDUyMTA2M2M4YzA1Njg2ZTY3NzUxZTAzZDNiYTU0NmZhMyxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: What the f***, head island. I repeat, what the F***.  
Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained 06 - “[The Hide-Behind](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DpcWzVLbBDwc&t=ODlmNzE4ODVlZThmZGEyYzNiYWViNDVhZDgwYWIxZTQzMzlmYjUzZCxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Maraca owl! Great mental palate-cleanser after the unmitigated creepy of “The Tooth.” …wait, what’s-  
Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained XX - “[The Order Revealed](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7rq-JkNpldQ&t=MTdkNTFiNzUwYmNhOTEzN2VlMjEwMWM3NjU5YTdkYmU0M2M5YjVhMyxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Every DGttU video has a split-second at the end where it shows part of a journal. The image is shown in full here for 20 seconds, and there’s a link to a high-res version in the description. Is there any way to decode this?  
  
Mabel’s Guide to Life 00 - “[Mabel’s Guide to Extended Openings](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DaJNTmctg9-M&t=OTcxMmNkNTUwNjI2N2E3ZTdhMmYzYTQ1NzM4NmY4Yzg4ZWEwZTYwYSxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: An intro to Mabel’s rich fantasy life. (read: randomness.)  
Mabel’s Guide to Life 01 - “[Mabel’s Guide to Dating](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7rq-JkNpldQ&t=MTdkNTFiNzUwYmNhOTEzN2VlMjEwMWM3NjU5YTdkYmU0M2M5YjVhMyxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Mabel doesn’t know how to treat animals.  
Mabel’s Guide to Life 02 - “[Mabel’s Guide to Stickers](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DraTSDDAsvdI&t=ZGRhMjMzMWE5NTZhMzVkYzJiMWUxZmFhMDBkYTM0NjU2NzZlNGU2OSxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Mabel doesn’t know history.  
Mabel’s Guide to Life 03 - “[Mabel’s Guide to Fashion](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DTIgEDmqbDLo&t=ZmIyZDIyN2ViZTY3MTI2ZGZmY2M4OTM2YjFkY2UwMzUzZWQ1YmJjNyxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Mabel knows her 80’s movies. (I don’t want to know why that random woman ran away screaming. I really don’t want to know what was under the beard that made that random woman run away screaming.)  
Mabel’s Guide to Life 04 - “[Mabel’s Guide to Colors](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSigFATCW2_Q&t=MzIyMTAxN2Q2YzJkYTFiNDlmY2RjOGRmMjg1NGFkNGU3NGYzYjBmNixtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Mabel _really_ doesn’t know history.  
Mabel’s Guide to Life 05 - “[Mabel’s Guide to Art](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DU4Is7F50BaU&t=MWQ3MWY0ODAzMzAzNmZiMWUxY2U2Nzc1ZTYxNjcwNDFiMmFlNGE0MSxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Dipper’s favorite color is Wendy. Wendy’s favorite color is flannel.  
All of these videos - Mabel really really _really_ doesn’t know safety.  
  
“[Fixin’ It with Soos: Golf Cart](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DVEe-F0JID3E&t=OWFkMmVjZmQzZjJlM2NhMGJiZDFlODZhMTEwMzQ2ODI5Njk5NmViMixtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Soos is actually good at fixing things, and pretty okay at making videos. …he kinda goes overboard.  
(And I suppose he could have gotten the pyramid and the eye from a dollar bill, but it’s Gravity Falls.)  
“[Fixin’ It with Soos: Cuckoo Clock](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEBFAF4W_vmI&t=ZDlhOTM4NmQwYTI5OWRlZjM4NzEyMTBmZWQ2Zjg5ZjU3YjZmMTA5OSxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”: Stan sums it up as “You’ve joined forces with Mabel. This is an unsettling development.” And then Soos’ computer blows up.  
  
“[Gravity Falls TV Shorts #1](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D89n5m714Hdw&t=OWViNWEyMWE4YWZjMDI3NWM2MzhjMDVkOTI0OWQ3NzkzNzQ5MTk4ZixtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”:  
There’s a TV commercial for the Mystery Shack. It’s as well-made as one would expect.  
More Soos randomness.  
Hm. Lil’ Gideon is still on TV while he’s stuck in the local maximum security prison. …he’s recruiting an army of violent convicts. Oh, goody.  
“[Gravity Falls TV Shorts #2](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DmsYZYVc5Gtk&t=NGM1ODM5YTA1OGNkZjVhNGU4NDA0NjcyZDA3ZmIwNmQxYjNhNjJlYyxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)”:  
Reality TV is universally terrible.  
Kids. Never actually say those words. Augh.  
Duck-tective. Even Stan thinks staring at a blank wall is better than this.  
  
“[Mabel’s Scrapbook: Heist Movie](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DmsYZYVc5Gtk&t=NGM1ODM5YTA1OGNkZjVhNGU4NDA0NjcyZDA3ZmIwNmQxYjNhNjJlYyxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)” - Thompson drinks popcorn butter.  
“[Mabel’s Scrapbook: Petting Zoo](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPgEB6Nyrn-g&t=MGU0NWJhZTI2YjIyYjBiOWU4YzJjNzJhMzI4OTZhNGQ1YzBjNTQwMSxtM2RNdEticQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93519549979%2Fgravity-falls-inter-season-shorts-commentary&m=1)” - Opening photos: Who’s this joker? “…dogsled race against that space lizard.”  
The premise involves toxic runoff from the mudflap factory mutating animals.  
(Did anyone else catch the triangle pattern on the gate? It’s Gravity Falls. There are no coincidences.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 August 2014 #gravity falls #trivia #shorts #links #youtube


	2. Commentary and Trivia: S2 E1 “Scary-Oke”

##  [Commentary and Trivia: S2 E1 “Scary-Oke”](https://bibliomatsuri.tumblr.com/post/93562774134/commentary-and-trivia-s2-e1-scary-oke)

Spoilers ahead. Read carefully.

The opening: There’s a different image at the end!

When Stan pulled that lever, he had on a yellow work glove with six fingers, same as the hands on the journal covers.

Leprecorn? Well, this _is_ Gravity Falls. There are no coincidences.

Pssh. Of course a named character couldn’t be casually killed off for real. This is still a kids’ show (in theory).

“The kid’s stubborn, that’s the problem. …kind of like me.” Yep, more parallels between Dipper and Stan.

Stan killed zombies. Stan busted up the shack and shoved a grandfather clock down the stairs. Why am I devoting more space to that than to his nick-of-time heroic entrance? Simple: all that stuff cost money. Greed is one of Stan Pines’ most obvious and important character traits. It would be one thing if he only saved himself, but he made a point of making sure the twins were safe _first_. And he smashed up his stuff, his _expensive_ stuff, to buy them all time. Whatever his ultimate motivations, it’s clear that he really does care about the twins.(Unless there was a plot-important event or revelation in between him saying he didn’t have time to deal with the kids and said heroic entrance, and it made the twins important to some overarching plot - in both senses of the word - but I’m inclined to think otherwise.)

Aww, they even crossed fingers and lied in the exact same way. There’s no way that could come back to bite them at all.

End credits: Agents Powers and Trigger are now going to start investigating the town of Gravity Falls in earnest. …Great. Just great.

(And of course there’s the cipher, but I’ve never had much luck with those…)

EDIT: Didn’t realize it until this morning, but Mabel’s exact words were “karaoke with my two favorite people” not “two of my favorite people.” …what about the twins’ parents? Is this foreshadowing, or just another Mabel-ism?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 August 2014 #gravity falls #scary-oke #trivia #character analysis


	3. Commentary and Trivia: S2 E2 “Into The Bunker”

##  [Commentary and Trivia: S2 E2 “Into The Bunker”](https://bibliomatsuri.tumblr.com/post/94222024259/commentary-and-trivia-s2-e2-into-the-bunker)

Again, spoilers ahead. Read carefully.

Blacklight reveals the words “PREPARE FOR THE END” - In the fallout shelter under the tree, there are food supplies for “over sixty years.” It’s been thirty years since the author vanished, so was something scheduled for thirty years past this point? And what could it have been?  
  
Hm, that seems a too convenient. If the containment is still working, then why hasn’t the guy turned it on- aw, spit.   
…seriously, Dipper? A horror movie aficionado like you should know better.

Lovely quote (paraphrased): “Mabel, how can everything be so wonderful and so terrible at the same time?”

“PROPERTY OF F” - Soos’ skills at fixing up machinery from “Fixin’ It With Soos” is a plot point. I knew it!

Huh. The episode closed with the image of a [Rutherford-Bohr model](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FRutherford_model%23Symbolism&t=YzgyODM5ZmRmZTg1YTYzNTFhMDUwMTI4MTY0ZTMyMjIzNDRhZjY1NSxicm83Z2tPNw%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F94222024259%2Fcommentary-and-trivia-s2-e2-into-the-bunker&m=1) of an atom. Atomic power? Or did it refer to a specific element? Hm.  
There’s an end of the world scenario that doesn’t need paranormal weirdness. Even if the story isn’t set in 2012 (when _Gravity Falls_ started airing), 30 years ago would presumably mean the 1980s. As in the Cold War. As in the threat of nuclear winter, “mutually assured destruction.” Now I’m kind of hoping that symbol wasn’t what I’d thought it was…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 8 August 2014 #gravity falls #into the bunker #trivia #symbolism #speculation


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A response to someone else's post: [[source](http://ysera.tumblr.com/post/93623695782)] [[via](http://phantomrose96.tumblr.com/post/94480737382/punkershy-dps-kwj-tiajedwofe-oe-bsfy-ulsbsf)]
> 
> Fair warning, this makes zero sense w/o seeing the original post.

YES. End cipher translations, and aside from the ciphers:

“Scary-Oke” - Upper right, there’s a [**tri** skelion](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTriskelion&t=NmFiNWRjZWRhODIzMTkzODlhYzE0YzI0ZDk4MGEwMmE1YzBiYmQzOCxQeThUSXNkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F94509772969%2Fpunkershy-dps-kwj-tiajedwofe-oe-bsfy-ulsbsf&m=1) or [**triple** spiral](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTriple_spiral&t=ZjUzYjBjZjg5N2Y4YzM5N2ZiZGY5MTkxMWFlMGQwYWJhM2Q5ZWJiZixQeThUSXNkRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A9nz1CTF245iQXniZOuIHpA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fbibliomatsuri.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F94509772969%2Fpunkershy-dps-kwj-tiajedwofe-oe-bsfy-ulsbsf&m=1) in red ink. Upper left, there are **three** six-fingered hands…

“Into the Bunker” - There’s [that Rutherford-Bohr model](http://bibliomatsuri.tumblr.com/post/94222024259/commentary-and-trivia-s2-e2-into-the-bunker) with **three** electrons. Upper right, the same **three** hands from “Scary-Oke” but the pattern is flipped. Various **tri** angles. Oh, and there are bloodstains obscuring parts of the page, but surely that isn’t important.

Hey, foreshadowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11 August 2014 #gravity falls #season 2 #code translations #trivia #symbolism #speculation  
> #i honestly can't tell what is or isn't a #red herring


End file.
